It is known that vehicles have a tendency to breakdown at completely random times, often on a major thoroughfare or highway. It is also known that accidents often occur when the difference in speed between two vehicles is greatest. Of course, the worst case of this is a vehicle that becomes disabled on a highway where other vehicles are traveling at the speed limit.
Distress signs have been developed to inform passing motorists that a stranded motorist needs assistance. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,151 to Dexter and U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,254 to Parish, Sr. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,151, a magnet is utilized to mount a vertical sign to the top of a vehicle, having a legend such as "Send Help." U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,254 discloses an interchangeable sign exhibitor, where different words may be formed to convey a message from the stranded motorist.
However, these arrangements are merely message centers and do little to help avoid collisions with stationary vehicles. The U.S. Government has set guidelines for warning devices that are intended to improve the visibility of disabled vehicles. Standard 125 of the United States Department of Transportation recites the scope, application and purpose of warning devices for vehicles. Standard 125 relates to devices without self-contained energy sources that are designed to be carried in motor vehicles and used to warn approaching traffic of the presence of a stopped vehicle.
Standard 125 requires a triangle with specific size and color restrictions. A known device that conforms to Standard 125 is the free standing triangle that is usually seen behind disabled trucks. According to Standard 125, the triangle must be equilateral and from 17 to 22 inches on each side. The outermost 2 to 3 inches must be composed of two colored bands; the outer one being a red reflective material to improve night visibility and the inner band being an orange fluorescent material to improve day visibility. The color of the center section of the triangle is open, permitting the passage of wind.
However, the free-standing triangles have the disadvantages of requiring heavy mounting stands or bases, to prevent them from blowing away in the wind, and usually collapse to a size that cannot be conveniently stored in an easily accessible location in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In general, such devices must be carried in the trunk of a car, where luggage and clutter can prevent them from being readily accessible in an emergency. They are also positioned on the ground, while they would be more easily spotted by other drivers if they were positioned nearer to driver eye level.
It is an object of my invention to provide a highway emergency safety sign. Another object of my invention is to provide a highway emergency safety sign that conforms to Standard 125, is easily portable, and can be stored in the glove compartment or side door map pocket of a motor vehicle.
It is a further object of my invention to provide a safety sign that can generally conform to the body contours of a passenger or cargo carrying motor vehicle, depending on where the sign is attached to the vehicle.
Another object of my invention is to provide a safety sign that includes means for quickly attaching/detaching the sign to a vehicle.
A still further object of my invention is to protect the sign indicia when the sign is not in use.
The foldable emergency sign of my invention comprises a plurality of flat slats joined to one another by flexible hinges. The slats carry warning indicia to alert passing motorists to the presence of the disabled vehicle. The slats are also provided with magnets for quick attachment and detachment from a vehicle. A support harness may be provided for attaching the emergency sign to the irregularly shaped areas of a vehicle.
In accordance with a further embodiment of my invention, the foldable emergency sign is in the shape of a triangle formed by three interconnected arms, each made of two or more flat slats which are joined together by flexible hinges. The arms are narrowed at the ends which define two of the apices of the triangle but not at the third apex. At that apex, the slat of one arm is positioned over the slat of the other arm and a flexible attaching mechanism, such as a flexible magnet or VELCRO tape, is positioned on the bottom of the upper slat and the top of the lower slat to join the two arms to define the third apex of the triangle when the emergency sign is to be employed. Flexible tape adjoins the slats at each arm and also adjoins each of the slats defining the other two apices of the triangle so that the triangular sign can be folded in upon itself when not in use. Flexible magnetic tape positioned on the back of each arm allows the sign to be attached to the vehicle.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with a review of the appended drawings .